Federal Constitution of Sanama
The Federal Constitution of Sanama was adopted by the people of Sanama in a referendum on 24.VI.1679.
Outline
- Due to the failure of the previous federal system to prevent government lethargy, equality and its final overthrow, the new state will federate at a higher level. Instead of 69 sovereign cantons, this constitution will form seven to nine provinces with limited sovereignty, and one to three territories. Highpass will initially become a territory, with the goal of becoming a province in the future. A federal capital territory may also be formed, as well as insular territories, if necessary. The admittance of new provinces to the union requires the consent of at least two-thirds of existing provinces.
- All official languages on the provincial level are also official languages on the federal level.
- The legislature consists of two houses: the Federation Council with representatives of the provinces and territories, and the National Assembly, with representatives of the people elected per province and territory. The Federation Council will be partly elected by the people, partly appointed by the government of the province or territory. The houses are equal in legislative power, but the Federation Council has additional powers in relation to foreign affairs and the rights of the provinces. Its term of office will be five years.
- The executive power will be vested in a President and a Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers will be headed by a Chancellor. The Chancellor is appointed by the President with the consent of the National Assembly. The Chancellor is responsible for the conduct of the government to both the President and the National Assembly. The National Assembly may dismiss the Chancellor, and thereby the entire Council of Ministers, through a vote of no-confidence. The President may dismiss the Chancellor, but only for good cause, for example an inability to govern or loss of confidence. The term of office of the President will be five years.
- All acts of the Council of Ministers must be signed by the President. The President may refuse signature. Any such refusal may be submitted for approval by the Chancellor to the National Assembly. If the National Assembly approves, the President must sign the act. All acts of the President must be counter-signed by the Chancellor. The Chancellor may refuse signature on account of unconstitutionality.
- All acts of the legislature must be signed by the President. The President may veto a law presented to him, but only once per law. He shall return the law to the chamber of origin with a statement explaining his reasons for veto. If the legislature in a joint sitting passes the law again with the support of at least three-fifths of the entire membership, the President is obliged to sign the law.
- The President is head of state and commander-in-chief. The Chancellor is head of government. All actions of the President as commander-in-chief must be counter-signed by the Chancellor.
- The Supreme Court is separate from the legislative and executive branches of government. It is appointed by the President with the consent of the Federation Council. It may review any law or public action and declare it null and void if it violates the constitution.
- Draft of provincial borders (Highpass territory marked in grey):
Federal Constitution of Sanama
Preamble
On 14.IV.1679 forces within the military regime with support from our friends and reflecting the deepest feelings of the Sanaman people by overthrowing the fascist regime.
Freeing Sanama from dictatorship and oppression represented a crucial step in the continued success of the Sanaman peoples and the Sanaman state that began in 1671 with independence from the yoke of colonialism.
The revolution restored fundamental rights and freedoms to the peoples of Sanama. In the exercise of those rights and freedoms, the people's legitimate representatives are gathered to draw up a Federal Constitution that matches the country's aspirations.
The interim government affirms the Sanaman peoples' decision to defend national independence, guarantee citizens' fundamental rights, establish the basic principles of democracy, ensure the primacy of a democratic state based on the rule of law and open up a path towards a just society, with respect for the will of the Sanaman peoples and with a view to the construction of a country that is freer, more just and more fraternal.
After the outline for a constitution was approved by the electorate in 24.VI.1679, the interim government hereby proclaims and ordains the following Federal Constitution of Sanama:
TITLE I. Fundamental rights
Article . Human dignity
Human dignity must be respected and protected.
Article . Equality before the law
Every person is equal before the law. No person may be discriminated against, in particular on grounds of origin, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, language, social position, way of life, religious, ideological, or political convictions, or because of a physical, mental or psychological disability.
Article . Gender equality
Men and women have equal rights. The law shall ensure their equality, both in law and in practice. Men and women have the right to equal pay for work of equal value.
Article . Non-arbitrary state action
Every person has the right to be treated by state authorities in good faith and in a non-arbitrary manner.
Article . Proportionality of criminal penalties
Every person has the right to life. The death penalty is prohibited. Criminal penalties shall be proportional to the severity of the crime committed, and be aimed towards rehabilitation and the protection of society.
Article . Personal liberty
Every person has the right to personal liberty and in particular to physical and mental integrity and to freedom of movement.
Article . Prohibition against torture
Torture and any other form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment are prohibited.
Article . Right to privacy
Every person has the right to privacy in their private and family life and in their home, and in relation to their mail and telecommunications. Every person has the right to be protected against the misuse of their personal data.
Article . Freedom of religion and conscience
Freedom of religion and conscience is guaranteed. Every person has the right to choose freely their religion or their philosophical convictions, and to profess them alone or in community with others. Every person has the right to join or to belong to a religious community, and to follow religious teachings. No person may be forced to join or belong to a religious community, to participate in a religious act, or to follow religious teachings.
Article . Freedom of expression and information
Freedom of expression and of information is guaranteed. Every person has the right freely to form, express, and impart their opinions. Every person has the right freely to receive information to gather it from generally accessible sources and to disseminate it.
Article . Freedom of the media
Freedom of the press, radio and television and of other forms of dissemination of features and information by means of public telecommunications is guaranteed. Censorship is prohibited. The protection of sources is guaranteed.
Article . Freedom of language
The freedom to use any language is guaranteed.
Article . Right to education
The right to an adequate and free basic education is guaranteed.
Article . Freedom of assembly
Freedom of assembly is guaranteed. Every person has the right to organise meetings and to participate or not to participate in meetings.
Article . Freedom of association
Freedom of association is guaranteed. Every person has the right to form, join or belong to an association and to participate in the activities of an association. No person may be compelled to join or to belong to an association.
Article . Freedom of movement
Sanaman citizens have the right to establish their domicile anywhere in the country. They have the right to leave or to enter Sanama.
Article . Freedom from exile and extradition
Sanaman citizens may not be expelled from Sanama and may only be extradited to a foreign authority with their consent. Refugees may not be deported or extradited to a state in which they will be persecuted. No person may be deported to a state in which they face the threat of torture, the death penalty, or any other form of cruel or inhumane treatment or punishment.
Article . Right to own private property
The right to own private property is guaranteed.
Article . Economic freedom
Economic freedom is guaranteed. Economic freedom includes in particular the freedom to choose an occupation as well as the freedom to pursue a private economic activity.
Article . Rights of employers and employees
Employees, employers and their organisations have the right to join together in order to protect their interests, to form associations and to join or not to join such associations. Disputes must wherever possible be resolved through negotiation or mediation. Strikes and lock outs are permitted if they relate to employment relations and if they do not contravene any requirements to preserve peaceful employment relations or to conduct conciliation proceedings.
Article . Equality in judicial and administrative proceedings Every person has the right to equal and fair treatment in judicial and administrative proceedings and to have their case decided within a reasonable time. Each party to a case has the right to be heard. Any person who does not have sufficient means has the right to free legal advice and assistance. If it is necessary in order to safeguard their rights, they also have the right to free legal representation in court. In a legal dispute, every person has the right to have their case determined by a judicial authority.
Article . Right to impartial court Any person whose case falls to be judicially decided has the right to have their case heard by a legally constituted, competent, independent and impartial court. Ad hoc courts are prohibited.
Article . Public court proceedings Unless the law provides otherwise, court hearings and the delivery of judgments shall be in public.
Article . Freedom from arbitrary detention No person may be deprived of their liberty other than in the circumstances and in the manner provided for by the law. Any person deprived of their liberty has the right to be notified without delay and in a language they can understand of the reasons for their detention and of their rights. They must be given the opportunity to exercise their rights, in particular, the right to have their next-of-kin informed.
Article . Right to recourse to court Any person who has been deprived of their liberty by a body other than a court has the right to have recourse to a court at any time. The court shall decide as quickly as possible on the legality of their detention.
Article . Presumption of innocence Every person is presumed innocent until they have been found guilty by a legally enforceable judgment. Every accused person has the right to be notified as quickly and comprehensively as possible of the charge brought against them. They must be given the opportunity to assert their rights to a proper defence. Every convicted person has the right to have their conviction reviewed by a higher court, with the exception of cases in which the Federal Supreme Court sits at first instance.
Article . Right to petition Every person has the right, without prejudice, to petition the authorities. The authorities must acknowledge receipt of such petitions.
Article . Duty to uphold fundamental rights Fundamental rights must be upheld throughout the legal system. Whoever acts on behalf of the state is bound by fundamental rights and is under a duty to contribute to their implementation. The authorities shall ensure that fundamental rights, where appropriate, apply to relationships among private persons.
Article . Restrictions on fundamental rights Restrictions on fundamental rights must have a legal basis. Significant restrictions must have their basis in a federal act. The foregoing does not apply in cases of serious and immediate danger where no other course of action is possible. Restrictions on fundamental rights must be justified in the public interest or for the protection of the fundamental rights of others. Any restrictions on fundamental rights must be proportionate. The essence of fundamental rights is not to be violated.
Article . Citizenship Any person who is a citizen of Sanama is also a citizen of the province, canton and local authority where they reside.
Article . Citizenship law The Federation shall regulate the acquisition, deprivation and restoration of Sanaman citizenship.
Article . Legislation on political rights The Federation shall regulate the exercise of political rights in federal matters, and the provinces shall regulate their exercise in cantonal and local matters. Political rights are exercised in the local authority in which a citizen resides, although the Federation and the provinces may provide for exceptions. No person may exercise their political rights contemporaneously in more than one province.
Article . Rights of Sanamans abroad The Federation shall legislate on the rights and obligations of the Swiss abroad, in particular in relation to the exercise of political rights in the Federation, the fulfilment of the obligation to perform military or alternative service, welfare support and social security.
TITLE II. The federation and the provinces
Article . Constitutional principles The Democratic Federation of Sanama is a democratic and social federal state. All state authority is derived from the people. It shall be exercised by the people through elections and other votes and through specific legislative, executive and judicial bodies. The legislature shall be bound by the constitutional order, the executive and the judiciary by law and justice.
Article . Right to resistance All Sanamans shall have the right to resist any person seeking to abolish this constitutional order if no other remedy is available.
Article . Political parties Political parties shall participate in the formation of the political will of the people. They may be freely established. Their internal organisation must conform to democratic principles. They must publicly account for their assets and for the sources and use of their funds.
Parties that, by reason of their aims or the behaviour of their adherents, seek to undermine or abolish the free democratic basic order or to endanger the existence of the Democratic Federation of Sanama shall be unconstitutional. The Supreme Court shall rule on the question of unconstitutionality.
Details shall be regulated by federal laws.
Article . Federal capital and flag
Sanama City is the capital of the Democratic Federation of Sanama.
The federal flag shall be yellow, green, red and black.
Article . Transfer of sovereign powers
The Federation may, by law, transfer sovereign powers to international organisations.
With a view to maintaining peace, the Federation may enter into a system of mutual collective security; in doing so it shall consent to such limitations upon its sovereign powers as will bring about and secure a lasting peace in Benacia and among the nations of the world.
Article . Production of weapons Weapons designed for warfare may be manufactured, transported or marketed only with the permission of the Federal Government. Details shall be regulated by a federal law.
Article . Provincial constitutions
The constitutional order in the provinces must conform to the principles of a republican, democratic and social state governed by the rule of law within the meaning of this Constitution. In each province, canton and municipality the people shall be represented by a body chosen in general, direct, free, equal and secret elections. In province and municipal elections, persons who possess the citizenship of any member state of the South Benacian Community are also eligible to vote and to be elected. In municipalities a local assembly may take the place of an elected body.
Municipalities must be guaranteed the right to regulate all local affairs on their own responsibility within the limits prescribed by the laws. Within the limits of their functions designated by a law, associations of municipalities shall also have the right of self-government in accordance with the laws. The guarantee of self-government shall extend to the bases of financial autonomy; these bases shall include the right of municipalities to a source of tax revenues based upon economic ability and the right to establish the rates at which these sources shall be taxed.
The Federation shall guarantee that the constitutional order of the provinces conforms to the basic rights and to the provisions of the first and second paragraphs of this Article.
Article . Change in the delimitation of federal territory
The border between provinces, or the creation of a new province from existing provinces, may be changed or affected only through decision by the government of the provinces involved, and the consent of a majority of electors voting in the concerned provinces in referendum.
The addition of new provinces must be approved by a two-thirds majority of existing provinces.
Territory not within any province shall be organised as a federal territory by the federal government. The federal government holds ultimate authority over all matters concerning a federal territory.
Article . Sovereign powers of the provinces
Except as otherwise provided or permitted by this Constitution, the exercise of state powers and the discharge of state functions is a matter for the provinces.
Article . Supremacy of federal law
Federal law shall take precedence over provincial law.
Article . Foreign relations
Relations with foreign states shall be conducted by the Federation. Before the conclusion of a treaty affecting the special circumstances of a province, that province shall be consulted in a timely fashion.
Article . Equal citizenship
Every Sanaman shall have in every province the same political rights and duties.
Article . Legal and administrative assistance
All federal and provincial authorities shall render legal and administrative assistance to one another.
In order to maintain or restore public security or order, a province in particularly serious cases may call upon personnel and facilities of the federal government to assist its police when without such assistance the police could not fulfill their responsibilities, or could do so only with great difficulty. In order to respond to a grave accident or a natural disaster, a province may call for the assistance of police forces of other province or of personnel and facilities of other administrative authorities, of the Armed Forces or of the federal police.
Article . Federal execution
If a province fails to comply with its obligations under this Constitution or other federal laws, the Federal Government, with the consent of the Federal Congress, may take the necessary steps to compel the province to comply with its duties.
For the purpose of implementing such coercive measures, the Federal Government or its representative shall have the right to issue instructions to all provinces and their authorities.
TITLE III. National Council
Article . Elections
Members of the National Council shall be elected in general, direct, free, equal and secret elections. They shall be representatives of the whole people, not bound by orders or instructions and responsible only to their conscience.
Any person who has attained the age of eighteen shall be entitled to vote; any person who has attained the age of majority may be elected.
Details shall be regulated by a federal law.
Article . Electoral term
Save the following provisions, the National Council shall be elected for three years. Its term shall end when a new National Council convenes. If the National Council is dissolved, new elections shall be held within sixty days. The National Council elected after a midterm dissolution serves the remainder of the regular term. The National Council shall not be dissolved within six months after an election and within six months before an election.
The National Council shall convene no later than the thirtieth day after the elections.
The National Council shall determine when its sessions shall be adjourned and resumed. The Speaker of the National Council may convene it at an earlier date. He shall be obliged to do so if one third of the Members or the President so demand.
Article . Presidency
The National Council shall elect its Speaker, Deputy Speakers and secretaries. It shall adopt rules of procedure.
The Speaker shall exercise proprietary and police powers in the National Council building. No search or seizure may take place on the premises of the National Council without his permission.
Article . Scrutiny of elections
Scrutiny of elections shall be the responsibility of the National Council. It shall also decide whether a Member has lost his seat.
Complaints against such decisions of the National Council may be lodged with the Supreme Court.
Details shall be regulated by a federal law.
Article . Public sittings and majority decisions
Sittings of the National Council shall be public. On the motion of one tenth of its Members, or on the motion of the Federal Government, a decision to exclude the public may be taken by a two-thirds majority. The motion shall be voted upon at a sitting not open to the public.
Decisions of the National Council shall require a majority of the votes cast unless this Constitution otherwise provides. The rules of procedure may permit exceptions with respect to elections to be conducted by the National Council.
Truthful reports of public sittings of the National Council and of its committees shall not give rise to any liability.
Article . Plenary rights
The National Council and its committees may require the presence of any member of the Federal Government.
The members of the National Council and of the Federal Government as well as their representatives may attend all sittings of the National Council and meetings of its committees. They shall have the right to be heard at any time.
Article . Committees of inquiry
The National Council shall have the right, and on the motion of one quarter of its Members the duty, to establish a committee of inquiry, which shall take the requisite evidence at public hearings. The public may be excluded.
The rules of criminal procedure shall apply to the taking of evidence. The privacy of correspondence, posts and telecommunications shall not be affected.
Courts and administrative authorities shall be required to provide legal and administrative assistance.
The decisions of committees of inquiry shall not be subject to judicial review. The courts shall be free to evaluate and rule upon the facts that were the subject of the investigation.
Article . Immunities of members
At no time may a Member be subjected to court proceedings or disciplinary action or otherwise called to account outside the National Council for a vote cast or a remark made by them in the National Council or in any of its committees. This provision shall not apply to defamatory insults.
A Member may not be called to account or arrested for a punishable offence without permission of the National Council unless he is apprehended while committing the offence or in the course of the following day.
The permission of the National Assembly shall also be required for any other restriction of a Member’s freedom of the person.
Article . Right of refusal to give evidence
Members may refuse to give evidence concerning persons who have confided information to them in their capacity as Members of the National Council or to whom they have confided information in this capacity and to give evidence concerning this information itself. To the extent that this right of refusal to give evidence applies, no seizure of documents shall be permissible.
Article . Candidature
Every candidate for election to the National Council shall be entitled to the leave necessary for his election campaign.
No one may be prevented from accepting or exercising the office of Member of the National Council. No one may be given notice of dismissal or discharged from employment on this ground.
Members shall be entitled to remuneration adequate to ensure their independence. They shall be entitled to the free use of all publicly owned means of transport. Details shall be regulated by a federal law.
TITLE IV. Senate
Article . Functions
The Senate shall participate in the federal legislative process together with the National Council. The Senate shall also perform the other duties assigned to it by this Constitution and other federal laws.
Article . Elections
Five members of the Senate from each province shall be elected in general, direct, free, equal and secret elections. They shall be representatives of the people of the province, not bound by orders or instructions and responsible only to their conscience.
Any person who has attained the age of eighteen shall be entitled to vote; any person who has attained the age of majority may be elected.
Details shall be regulated by a federal law.
Article . Composition
The Senate shall consist of five members elected from each province in the manner described in Article X, and four members elected by the legislature of each province.
Article . Electoral term
The Senate shall be elected for six years. Its term shall end when a new Senate convenes.
The Senate shall convene no later than the thirtieth day after the elections.
The Senate shall determine when its sessions shall be adjourned and resumed. The President of the Senate may convene it at an earlier date. He shall be obliged to do so if one third of the Members or the President so demand.
Article . Direction of government representatives
The provincial governments shall issue general directions to its members in the Senate. The governments shall not issue directions to directly elected members of the Senate.
Article . Attendance of members of the Federal Government
The members of the Federal Government shall have the right, and on demand the duty, to participate in meetings of the Senate and of its committees. They shall have the right to be heard at any time. The Senate shall be kept informed by the Federal Government with regard to the conduct of its affairs.
TITLE V. Legislative process
Article . Division of powers between the Federation and the provinces
The provinces shall have the right to legislate insofar as this Constitution does not confer legislative power on the Federation.
The division of authority between the Federation and the provinces shall be governed by the provisions of this Constitution.
Article . Exclusive legislative power of the Federation
On matters within the exclusive legislative power of the Federation, the provinces shall have power to legislate only when and to the extent that they are expressly authorised to do so by a federal law.
Article . Federal exclusive legislative power
The Federation shall have exclusive legislative power with respect to:
a) Foreign affairs and defence, including protection of the civilian population;
b) Citizenship in the Federation;
c) Freedom of movement, passports, residency registration and identity cards, immigration, emigration and extradition;
d) Currency, money and coinage, weights and measures, and the determination of standards of time;
e) The unity of the customs and trading area, treaties regarding commerce and navigation, the free movement of goods, and the exchange of goods and payments with foreign countries, including customs and border protection;
f) Safeguarding Sanaman cultural assets against removal from the country;
g) Air transport;
h) The operation of railways wholly or predominantly owned by the Federation (federal railways), the construction, maintenance and operation of railway lines belonging to federal railways and the levying of charges for the use of these lines;
h) Postal and telecommunications services;
i) The legal relations of persons employed by the Federation and by federal corporations under public law;
j) Industrial property rights, copyrights and publishing;
k) Protection by federal law enforcement agencies against the dangers of international terrorism when a threat transcends the boundary of one province, when responsibility is not clearly assignable to the police authorities of any particular province or when the highest authority of an individual province requests the assumption of federal responsibility;
l) Cooperation between the Federation and the provinces concerning
1) Criminal police work,
2) Protection of the free democratic basic order, existence and security of the Federation or of a province (protection of the constitution), and
m) Protection against activities within the federal territory which, by the use of force or preparations for the use of force, endanger the external interests of the federation, as well as the establishment of federal law enforcement agencies and international action to combat crime;
n) Statistics for federal purposes;
o) The law on weapons and explosives;
p) Benefits for persons disabled by war and for dependents of deceased war victims as well as assistance to former prisoners of war;
q) The production and utilisation of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, the construction and operation of facilities serving such purposes, protection against hazards arising from the release of nuclear energy or from ionising radiation, and the disposal of radioactive substances;
r) Federal criminal law;
s) Court organisation and procedure, the legal profession, notaries and the provision of legal advice on the federal level;
t) The law relating to residence and establishment of foreign nationals and matters concerning refugees and expellees;
u) Establishment of federal reserves for the preservation of the environment;
v) The law relating to federal taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the federation;
w) The law regulating international and interprovincial commerce.
The federation shall enact any legislation needed to carry out the competences listed in this Article.
Article . Bills
Bills may be introduced in the Federal Assembly by the Council of State, by the President, or by any member of the Federal Assembly in the house they serve. Bills concerning taxation shall first be introduced in the National Council.
No bill or resolution shall be passed by the Federal Assembly unless it has been passed by a majority vote in each house.
Federal law shall provide for further rules on the passage of bills and resolutions.
TITLE VI. The President
Article . Election
The President shall be elected in general, direct, free, equal and secret elections, at the same time as the Senate.
Any person who has attained the age of eighteen shall be entitled to vote; any person who has attained the age of thirty-five years may be elected.
The person receiving the votes of a majority of voting electors shall be elected. If no candidate receives such a majority, a run-off election shall be held between the two candidates that received the largest number of votes. The candidate receiving the most votes in the run-off shall be elected.
Details shall be regulated by a federal law.
Article . Term of office
The term of office of the President shall be six years. Re-election for a consecutive term shall be permitted only once.
Article . Definition
The President represents the Federation, guarantees national independence, the unity of the state and the proper operation of the democratic institutions, and is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Article . Executive power
The executive power of the federal government shall be vested in the President and the Council of State. The executive power shall be exercised in accordance with this Constitution and federal law.
Article . Incompatibilities
The President may not be a member of the Council of State or of a legislative body of the Federation or of a province.
The President may not hold any other salaried office or engage in any trade or profession or belong to the management or supervisory board of any enterprise conducted for profit.
Article . Oath of office
On assuming his office, the President shall take the following oath before the assembled Members of the National Council and Senate:
“I swear that I will dedicate my efforts to the well-being of the Sanaman peoples, promote their welfare, protect them from harm, uphold and defend the Constitution and the laws of the Federation, perform my duties conscientiously and do justice to all.”
Article . Substitution
If the President is unable to perform his duties, or if his office falls prematurely vacant, the President of the Senate shall exercise his powers.
Article . Countersignature
Article . International representation
The President shall represent the Federation in international law. He shall conclude treaties with foreign states on behalf of the Federation. He shall accredit and receive envoys.
Treaties that regulate the political relations of the Federation or relate to subjects of federal legislation shall require the consent or participation, in the form of a federal law, of the bodies responsible in such a case for the enactment of federal law. In the case of executive agreements the provisions concerning the federal administration shall apply.
Article . Appointment of civil servants and pardon
The Federal President shall appoint and dismiss federal judges, federal civil servants and commissioned and non-commissioned officers of the Armed Forces, except as may otherwise be provided by a law.
He shall exercise the power to pardon offenders on behalf of the Federation in individual cases.
Article . Competences
In relation to other entities and organs the President has the competences:
a) To chair the Council of State;
b) To call extraordinary sittings of the National Council, the Senate or both;
c) To address messages to the National Council;
d) Subject to the provisions of Article X and after first consulting both the Council of State and the parties with seats in the National Council, to dissolve that Council;
e) To appoint the Chancellor pursuant to Article X;
f) To remove the Council of State in accordance with Article X, and to discharge the Chancellor from office pursuant to Article X;
g) Upon a proposal from the Chancellor, to appoint members of the Council of State and discharge them from office;
h) To appoint two ordinary members of the Supreme Judicial Council;
i) To chair the National Defence Council;
j) To appoint the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and discharge him from office; and, after consulting the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, to appoint the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces if any, and the Chiefs of Staff of the service branches, and discharge them from office.
Article . Personal competences
a) To exercise the functions of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces;
b) To enact laws, executive laws and regulatory decrees and order their publication, and to sign both resolutions of the Senate that approve international agreements and the rest of the Council of State's decrees;
c) To submit important issues of national interest to referendum;
d) To declare a state of siege or a state of emergency, in compliance with the provisions of Article X;
e) To pronounce on all emergencies that are of serious consequence to the life of the Federation;
f) After first consulting the Council of State, to grant remissions of sentence and commute sentences;
g) To confer decorations and awards in accordance with the law.
Article . Competences in international relations
In international relations the President has the competences:
a) To appoint ambassadors and extraordinary envoys upon a proposal from the Council of State, and to accredit foreign diplomatic representatives;
b) Once they have been duly approved, to ratify international treaties;
c) Upon a proposal from the Council of State, subject to authorisation by the Senate, or, when the Senate is not sitting and it is not possible to arrange for it to sit immediately, by its Standing Committee, to declare war in the case of effective or imminent aggression and to make peace.
Article . Enactment and veto Within a time limit of twenty days counting from the receipt of any decree of the Federal Assembly for enactment as a law, the President must enact the decree, or exercise the right of veto and send a message setting out the grounds for doing so and requesting that the legislative act be reconsidered.
If the Federal Assembly confirms its vote by a three-fifths majority of all the Members of each House, the President must enact the legislative act within a time limit of eight days counting from its receipt.
Within a time limit of forty days counting from the receipt of any Council of State decree for enactment, the President shall enact the decree, or exercise his right of veto and inform the Council of State in writing of the reasons for doing so.
Article . Impeachment
Article .
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